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I was recently asked if it is possible to rent a bike in Bagni di Lucca and I can happily report that a smart young man has begun a business to do just this. It is possible to rent an E-bike and join guided E-bike tours. Drop in and talk to Diego.

One of the things I am most asked for about Bagni di Lucca is information on walking trails in the area. The villages that make up Bagni di Lucca are beautiful and there are old mule trails between most of them.

The trails are reasonably well marked once you find them and it is great fun to walk between the villages. The forest is not too dense and the views can be spectacular.

I visited the Information Centre and found a couple of maps.

The orange lines represent roads. The orange broken lines are unsealed roads. The green lines are walking, mountain bike and horse trails and the broken green lines are waking tracks.

On this map the coloured lines represent walking trails, the double black lines are the roads and the broken black lines are unsealed roads.

You can find the originals at the Information Centre in La Villa. It is in Via Umberto I, not far from the Comune building. The young women who work there are very helpful.

I am often asked for ideas on what to see in Bagni di Lucca. This can be a little complicated because Bagni di Lucca is not one town, but a collection of villages scattered on either side of the Lima River in quite a large area. There are around 25 villages.

It also depends on how long is the intended stay and whether a car will be available.

For a one day trip from Lucca without a car I usually recommend taking the CTT from Piazza Verdi to Ponte a Serraglio, one of the villages along the Lima. Stop for a coffee at Il Monaco or Bar Italia in the little piazza.

Walk up the hill to Bagni Caldi to visit the Jean Veraud Terme, where people have been “taking the waters” for centuries. The road is a little steep, but you can stop along the way to admire the view.

If you book ahead you could enjoy one of the treatments, a deep marble bath or the steam grotto, one of which was the personal steam grotto of the sister of Napoleon.

Keep walking up the hill towards Colle and take the path down the other side to La Villa, the commercial centre of Bagni di Lucca and the home of the Comune. In summer the beautiful pool is open, offering a swim with a wonderful view.

Have lunch at one of the many restaurants and perhaps take a walk along the river where Elizabeth and Robert Barrett Browning liked to walk when they visited Bagni di Lucca.

From there it is possible to catch a bus back to Lucca. You could also walk along the river for about 2 kilometres to Fornoli, have an aperitivo at Cafe Catena, say hello to Paolo, and take the train back to Lucca.

For those staying longer it is important to know which village your accommodation is in. The 3 villages along the river, Fornoli, Ponte a Serraglio and La Villa, are easily reached by public transport. The others are not as easy to access. There are only a couple of buses a day from La Villa. You will need a car, or hire a taxi (which will need to be done in advance) or arrange transport with your landlord.

Without a car it can be difficult to access the outer villages. It is possible if you carefully coordinate the buses. Ask for help with a local or try the information office in La Villa.

If you have a car there are some truly stunning villages to visit. Each one is different and beautiful in its own way. Some have a restaurant or a bar, but many do not. I have visited all of the villages and if you go to the top of the page and click “Villages” a list will appear with a link to each one.

Be aware that the mountain roads are narrow and winding. There isn’t a lot of traffic and once you get used to driving on the roads you will be rewarded with spectacular scenery.

The villages are centuries old, some of them were settled by retiring Roman soldiers. Some have changed little and offer an authentic view of Italian life from times past.

Montefegatesi is the highest of the villages at 842 metres above sea level. Park on the edge of town and take the walk to the top to the statue of Dante for some of the best views over the mountains. Stop for a snack at the bar in the central piazza.

Vico Pancellorum has an excellent restaurant, Buca di Baldabo, which serves delicious home made pasta and local produce.

If you are up for it there is a steep walk to the top through cobblestone streets, rewarded with pretty views. Look for the ancient church at the bottom of the village.

There is a lovely walk from Pieve di Monte di Villa down to Ponte a Serraglio. Take the bus up, explore the village, have lunch at the Refugio Fiori and take a leisurely walk down through the beautiful forest. It is especially delightful in spring and autumn.

Luccio is the last village in Bagni di Lucca. In fact you leave the Lucca province briefly and enter Pistoia, before turning back to the road to Lucchio. The village clings like a limpet to the side of the mountain. It is said that hens in Lucchio lay square eggs to prevent them rolling down the slope.

Climb to the top to see the ruins of an ancient fort.

Take a walk through the English cemetery in La Villa (take the walking bridge near the theatre) and look for some famous names. Some dedicated locals have been slowly restoring the graves to their original state.

If you are lucky you will be in town for one of the many festivals in the area. Check this blog, ask at the information centre or look for posters in the local bars to see what is on.

If you click “Eat” at the top of the page you will find a list of the restaurants in the area and a link to a post about each one.

Go back through the archives. I have been collecting stories about Bagni di Lucca for 5 years and there is quite a bit of information about the villages and what to see in the area.

If you have any specific questions I will try to answer them or direct you to someone who can help.

While attending a wonderful performance at the Teatro Accademico a few days ago I spotted a doorway between the theatre and Hotel Regina.

I think it is new and it will be of great interest to anyone who wishes to rent a mountain bike. There are dozens of trails through the forests around Bagni di Lucca and I’m sure mountain biking would be a great thing to do here.

If you have no desire to go biking this post will be of no interest to you at all. There will be something else soon.

My lovely friend Chris Buxton came upon this scene while getting lost in the hills. I love it. Learning all the road signs nearly drove me nuts when I was studying for my Italian drivers’ licence, but this is a wonderful collection.

If you are only staying a few days in one of the villages of Bagni di Lucca it is possible to manage with public transport, but if you want to do a bit of sightseeing in the area, and I highly recommend this, you might like to hire a car.

There is a small garage in Fornoli that has a couple of cars and a 9 seater for hire. Go to Carrozzeria Tognelli Umberto, in Via Papa Giovanni XXIII.